I don't use film cameras any longer, did that for 35 years.
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Are you based in the UK? Where would you recommend the best places to get film processed to?I still shoot an occasional roll of Tri X to record images of family. Prints can outlast technology to read electronic media. This struck me when I saw pictures my dad shot close to 90 years ago and they are excellent and easy to see. I think my great grandchildren could appreciate a few B/W prints in decades to come.
PS I use a Nikon FM and 50mm f1.4. My film is processed by "The Darkroom". I get prints, negatives and a CDROM of digital images.
Yes there are advantages and disadvantages, the disadvantages are mainly cost and effort, but as to advantages in film photography that's another whole story.I've never handled a film camera before. I think there are places near me that still do film development. Do you see any advantages using film over digital?
Yes there are advantages and disadvantages, the disadvantages are mainly cost and effort, but as to advantages in photgraphy thats another whole story.
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Only an opinion
I thought that Ektar 25 was the finest-grained color negative film available to the public. Was I wrong to use 25 when it offered no benefit in detail over 100?Not any more. When I got my first digital SLR (Canon 5DmkII) I also kept a film Canon EOS 1N for a couple years. I used it on one (or was it two) Europe trips with one roll loaded to do occasional double exposures. Only one of these came out really well and in fact is a 40x60 inch enlargement in my living room (made possible due to use of Kodak Ektar 100, the finest grained color negative film available, though in my all-film days I shot slide film). I will post it below. I did one shot at dusk which provided the red glow on the horizon and the second shot on the same frame of film about half an hour later to get the night lights on the city and Notre Dame (before the fire). I carefully guarded my tripod on the bridge to make sure no pedestrians bumped it between exposures, since everything had to line up perfectly.
As well as it came out, I get similar results just shooting a single frame with digital at dusk (blue hour). For the trouble of carrying an extra body and getting the film developed and scanned it was not worth it so I sold that film camera. I am now all digital (and more recently switched from digital SLR to mirrorless). Also at the time I was working at a photo lab so getting film processed and scanned was easy, but these days it would be much harder and more expensive for me.
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An experience with film also emphasizes the importance of planning and patience in the craft.
At the time of my trip, Ektar 25 had been discontinued. Also I think Ektar 100 had been updated.I thought that Ektar 25 was the finest-grained color negative film available to the public. Was I wrong to use 25 when it offered no benefit in detail over 100?
I used a lot of Ektar 25, Ektar 100 and Fuji Velvia in 35mm "back in the day." I also used some of these in 120 rolls with my Hassy 500. Some where, some time, I lost track of those negatives. How I wish I still had them. I'm currently going through some of my Dad's photos, and I'm hoping that some of my old shots got mixed up with his over the years.
I did a couple landscape works for a friend, and they held printed up to 1.8 meters by 1.2 meters high, they came out very well, the dynamic range and unique look had mood with amazing feel.Hello everyone,
I've never used film. All I've ever known is digital photography. Does anyone here still use film? I have seen negatives / slides but never taken photographs using film. Does anyone still use film? even if its for authentic purposes?
Lisa
Hi Fred- very interesting! What was that dpi? I'm scanning old historic photos from my family's archive and have been using 300 dpi generally, creating color tiff files. I then convert these later to pdfs or jpgs, depending on what the needs are.Since someone metioned film scanning and high resolution, I will interject my knowledge from two decades at a professional lab (film and digital). We learned that there was an optimum dpi level for scanning film (bigger file obviously for 120 than 35mm). If you scanned at a higher dpi for theoretically more resolution, the results were actually worse because you started magnifying the film grain. Some photographers did not believe us and wanted a higher dpi scan so they could have a bigger file for printing. So we did a test with one of our regular pros. We did a scan at our recommended level and one at the higher level he requested. We then printed a 16x20 inch from each and had him look at both and tell us which one he liked better. He chose the one printed from our recommended lower dpi scan.
Since I did not do the scanning myself I am afraid I cannot say. If I remember correctly (which I may or may not), I think for 35mm film the resulting file size in JPEG was 25MB? If you are doing 300 dpi I think you are fine.Hi Fred- very interesting! What was that dpi? I'm scanning old historic photos from my family's archive and have been using 300 dpi generally, creating color tiff files. I then convert these later to pdfs or jpgs, depending on what the needs are...
My feelings exactly, when i even take out my DF and 50mm 1.4 manual Ziess as the only lens, i challenge my self and become far more creative.‘He could create beauty out of horror’: the extraordinary life and photography of Tim Hetherington
He joined rebel convoys in Africa and turned his time with GIs in Afghanistan into an Oscar-nominated film. But his subject wasn’t war – it was people. Ahead of a major show, our writer remembers his former colleaguewww.theguardian.com
"Typically, tellingly, Tim worked at his own pace. At a time (the early 00s) when most photojournalists were crossing to digital, he shot colour negative film on an analogue camera: 10 frames on each roll. This forced him to think carefully about each composition, lifted him out of the frantic news cycle and nudged him towards such long-term themed projects....
Be a good time to sell the old gear in the garage LOLfyi
Ricoh’s big bet on a film renaissance: We interview the team behind the upcoming Pentax film camera
A few weeks ago in Japan, we had the opportunity to interview the team at Ricoh behind the new Pentax film camera that's expected to arrive later this year. Find out why the designers settled on a half-frame design that favors a vertical format, what inspired the optics, and the added complexity...www.dpreview.com
Sure they can. But variations in experiences lead to a broader spectrum of learning.I don't get this. The kids can't learn discipline of the art with digital?
I keep hearing that the best camera is the one you have with you. I don't always agree with that, but I think the general consensus is that it's the gray matter that counts.
You should be concerned about your composition and how you're going render that on your medium even if you're sketching with charcoal.
Chris